Member's Press Release

Brad White

Delegate Brad White Sponsors Bill to Protect Children

The House Judiciary Committee considered and passed H.B. 2939, a bill which closes a loophole in the current law. Currently, there is isn’t a mandate to report incidents of sexual misconduct that occur in schools to law enforcement. The legislation is sponsored by Del. Brad White (R-Kanawha). “We want to assure that law enforcement is appropriately notified when misconduct happens to our children while at school. I am pleased that my colleagues in the House Judiciary Committee shared in my priority to take up this important piece of legislation that will protect our young people,” stated Del. White.

The legislation clarifies and provides specific language on the process of reporting sexual misconduct and makes it mandatory to report any incident of this to law enforcement. Further, it also makes this a misdemeanor to violate this proposed law and includes penalties of up to a year in jail or a fine of up to $10,000.

White added, “As a father of two daughters, I want to make certain that parents are notified immediately of such incidents involving their children and I want to bring greater accountability to those that seek to harm our children. This bill helps keep our kids safe and ensures their protection, well-being and development as children.”

The legislation will be placed on the House Calendar for further consideration.